December 2. 2014
New York City: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced today that the 14th Street Y’s LABA is one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works Grant. LABA received a $10,000 grant to support the LABAlive series.
Every year, LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture selects ten fellows from a variety of creative disciplines to study ancient Jewish texts at our house of study and use them to inspire new work. LABAlive is a series of salon-style evenings that give audiences a chance to see these works along with a subversive teaching of the texts that inspired them. In most cases, artists will present an excerpt of their works, which are often in early stages of development. Evenings conclude with drinks, snacks and schmoozing.
Announcing the grant recommendations, NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works including the award to the 14th Street Y’s LABA. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”
“It is an honor for the 14th Street Y to join the ranks of NEA grant recipients, along with other arts organizations like the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, and the Public-Shakespeare Festival. In downtown Manhattan, artists are hungry for space and support—and the National Endowment for the Arts allows LABA at the 14th Street Y to provide those, as well as community and the inspiration of Jewish text.” says Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Executive Director of the 14th Street Y, a program of the Educational Alliance. “We have always been proud that LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture is such a unique incubator for artists and culture makers, and we are thrilled to have our program recognized and supported in this way.
Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants for a total of 26.6 million.
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov. Follow the conversation about this and other NEA-funded projects on Twitter at #NEAFall2014.